Do you spend most of the holiday season rushing around – purchasing gifts, attending events, and doing everything to make it magical and special for your kids? Well, we have a couple more weeks to change that and actually enjoy things ourselves.

I realized this year that my 1st grader could really find out the “truth” about Santa any time now. I hope he doesn’t for several more years, but I need to enjoy the fact that he does still believe now. I also realized this year that it is my youngest’s last year in preschool so the never-ending abundance of art projects and spontaneous singing of carols will start to fade as they have with my oldest.

So, this year I have decided to to really immerse myself in everything – the sparkle in their eyes when they see Santa, the magic of our Elf that mysteriously jumps around our house every night, the excitement of houses with Christmas lights, and all that other magic that appears at this time of year. I find that when events are going on I need to sit back and just watch my kids. Watch their reactions, the excitement in their eyes, and just interact with them. They can almost talk you into believing anything.

The other day my oldest asked me why Rudolph doesn’t come to our Christmas Park with the other reindeer. I had to come up with a reason, and quick. I told him that Rudolph was special and needed to stay back at the North Pole so his nose could be taken care of. My son took my quick little story and expanded it into a whole story. At the end I was believing it was true.

Its moments like that you need to just let yourself get caught up into.